I really didn’t have d time to even read this interview when it was published last May. I’ll start translating bit by bit… be patient~ ^^ The interview was published 2 May 2011. Say thank you after reading please~ 🙂

There’s probably no other group that fits the expression “have gone through all sorts of hardships” as Boohwal. Changing their name from “The End” to Boohwal (“Resurrection”) in 1985, they’re spent 27 years living by the name, nearing “end” to brilliantly “resurrect” again.

Original member guitarist Kim Tae Won – 27 years, drummer Chae Je Min and bassist Seo Jae Hyuck – 12 years, Boohwal’s 9th vocalist Jeong Dong Ha – 7 years. The four of them come together as “Boohwal”, having a taste of un-interested public at one moment and splendid attention at another.

Following “Never Ending Story”‘s success in 2002, Boohwal went further from public’s attention once again, but following Kim Tae W0n’s activity in entertainment programmes as “National Grandma” they start to see a new peak.
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Seo Jae Hyuck: “All members are working on a tight schedule now. It’s an undeniable fact that Boohwal’s gotten more publicized through Tae Won Hyeong’s activities in variety show; despite he’s busy schedule, Tae Won Hyeong keeps working on our album and concerts. He got sick a few times, but through “The Great Birth” Audition he receives even more attention from the public. It’s as if all were planned. I can’t remember other time when we’re so full of expectations about what might come our way tomorrow.”

I wouldn’t have been genuine if I made my remarks wanting people to quote it. I never prepared any of my remarks. I don’t have the energy to calculate everything. I sense the situation perfectly and simply make my remarks.

[When you think of “Qualifications of Men”‘s members and Boohwal members, is there any difference?]

Both are exactly the same (for me). There’s also no script for “Qualifications of Men”. If somebody’s “lacking” during the recording, somebody else fill in. The same as Boohwal in live concerts, we improvise to complement each other. It’s the same.

[You’ve brought Boohwal for 27 years. For Kim Tae Won, what does Boohwal, and what does your fan means to you?]

In a religion, they do “mission” (to deliver the message) do they. We deliver music. In 27 years, we’ve shown deficiency, we’ve also shown good performances. You can say we’ve written down our stories for 27 years now. The four of us come together, as Boohwal. Fans, are like drawing paper. When we’re drawing with watercolor, we can’t work without a drawing paper. If fans look the other way, we’d have no place to sing.

Seo Jae-Hyuck: “At different times, I’ve different things I’d like to say. I wish we can do commercials together when you do (laugh). It’s a difficult thing to touch the emotion of the people around you, isn’t it. From the years we’ve spent together, he’s a person I’ve gotten lots of influence from and I respect for the way he touches my heart.”

CHAE JE MIN ♥ 채제민

[You joined Boohwal for the first time in 1999. But you stepped out and came back again.]

It wasn’t intentional… I had to leave for another loyalty. After coming back, I thought I’d never leave Boohwal ever again by my intention. But Boohwal was often not very successful most times after I came back. I think it was my trust that kept me holding on.

Kim Tae Won: For certain, he was the first member in Boohwal history to come back after leaving the band (laugh) There’s some chemistry between me and him. He didn’t have to say anything when he joined back, thus I was also not in any position to take him back.

[Judging from appearance, you seem to be the toughest and the strongest among Boohwal members.]

Among Boohwal members, I’m the most sentimental and wandering. The person with the strongest personality is Tae Won Hyeong. He’s a baseline of a person who looks gentle in appearance, but tough inside. Jae Hyuck is also straight up, and Dongha is pro-active.

It was a difficult time back then, but it’s all good now. It was the time when the album just disappeared even without anybody knowing (there’s low public attention). Thanks to Tae Won Hyeong activities now, a lot of people come to our concerts, listen to to our albums. It’s became a lot warmer compared to that time. I’m really happy.

It was at first. When I carried the album I participated in, I wandered and worried a lot about the reaction Boohwal fans would have. Many sleepless nights. When the album first came out, there was no response (laugh). I was hurt.. As Boohwal gets more spotlight once again and receive more public attention, some compare with Boohwal’s previous vocalists and also criticize. It all becomes a positive stimulus for me.

[You joined as the 9th vocalist in Boohwal history, but were the first vocal to renew contract. You’re also the longest vocalist who stayed in Boohwal.]

There was not even a contract before. That’s how it was with previous vocalists as well. We made the contract just to re-instate the commitment to Boohwal. I don’t even know where the contract is now. I don’t think the contract itself is important.

[You have a lot of female fans thanks to your innocent-ness and gentle image. In reality, how is your character?]

I spent a lot of time by myself since I was little. I moved around a lot, and moved schools too, I find it difficult to get close with people. In a day, I didn’t even talk more than 3 words with my family – it was that bad. From that situation, (through) Boohwal I come to meet people and started to feel warm. I’m happy because of that, I also receive influences from other people … I’m pretty much what you see (laugh).

정동하씨에게 부활은.부활과 음악, 모두가 세상과 통하는 유일한 통로.

[What is Boohwal for you?]

Boohwal and music, it’s the only channel for me to communicate with the world.

Seo Jae-Hyuck: Dongha is a “pure” person, he used to felt like a “boy”, now he’s starting to become a “man”. There was not much to be shown before, but not he’s changed and developed, he obviously has this “rocker” identity. I hope he could show more of it.

After completing military service, the trending concept in music industry was like “EO-Gonggam*” – a singer and a composer work together to produce an album, at the time I also wanted to be that cool composer standing in the back so I challenged myself. I made demo tapes and send it around, well it didn’t work out – maybe I’m not good looking, maybe it wasn’t good enough coz my background was an engineering student. The singer then left to study abroad, but the last present he gave me was the chance to audition with Boohwal.

* “이오공감”(EO-Gonggam) was a duo made in 1992, the members are singer Lee Seung-Hwan (이승환) and composer Oh Tae-Ho(오태호).

Honestly, because I was a newcomer in the industry I needed a profile (experience). I was also curious about Boohwal. But honestly I wasn’t a fan (laugh). Maybe that’s why I didn’t have any fear or worries to enter. But he (Kim Tae Won) saw it positively, except it, and allowed me to do (be) something. There were parts of Boohwal music that didn’t fit with me, but I come to harmonize with them as time goes. Now I got to the point that the whole team is entrusted to me.

When we released “Never Ending Story”, we had a concert in a hall that fits 5,000 people. But after then, we “stepped down” to a concert hall that fits only 300 people. But in that concert, for the first time I felt this joy that I never felt in other concerts before. I realized that I want to do this regardless whether the album is successful or not. From that point on, each member worked hard to improve each skill. If we only relied on the team itself, many samples showed the team could break up because of monetary problems. Personally, since I graduated from engineering major, I went back to school to major in music and I also teach kids. I maintained the team while also participating in drama and music OST and commercial music. Because we have original member Kim Tae Won as the center of the team, there’s trust between the members and that’s how we stick together. It became the static power that keeps us together despite the ups and downs.

Kim Tae Won: It’s not exaggerating if I say that Seo Jae-Hyuck is the person that keeps Boohwal going. He’s the first person that sets the style of Boohwal. The same as our music. When we get lazy he’d wake the other members up.

Boohwal seems to be getting only busier in the future. The third collaboration project album and Boohwal’s 13th album is scheduled for release this year, and long schedule of national tour to be continued to the second half of 2011. There’s also a big curiosity about the next partner in the collaboration project, following the previous two featuring Boohwal’s previous vocalists. ~~ We requested the youngest in the team, Jeong Dong Ha, to say the closing statement for this interview. ~~

Jeong Dong-Ha: “Actually, a lot of Boohwal fans worried (about me) when “Secret” and the second collaboration album came out (all laugh) but actually I wasn’t excluded (laugh). Right now we’re preparing this awesome project that everybody would fall into, we hope fans will love it.”

Boohwal is a legendary rock band originating from South Korea. Since 1986, they’ve been through tremendous changes in members, in style; they’ve passed through so many challenges that only keep them going and become stronger and better every each day. Click here to check out [ALL MUSIC VIDEOS] of Boohwal over the years.

A lot of foreign fans don’t know how to get Boohwal’s CDs abroad, so please go to the red button on the right side to check out the sites where you can get their CDs abroad – please note that I DO NOT provide links for free downloads.

The “Rock Rock Rock” miniseries that was aired recently, taking the theme of Kim Tae-Won’s life story have drawn a lot of attention to Boohwal both from within Korea and internationally. Click on the correlating [Rock Rock Rock] button on the left to find the details about this drama.

You can find the list of most recent posts in this site on the left-hand side and categories organized below.
Top posts and comments could be found on your right-hand side, as well as monthly archive from March 2010-2011.

*On-record, this is post number 178 on https://boohwal.wordpress.com and right to this point of one-year anniversary, the blog has been visited over 46,200 times. Thank you for all of your never ending interest in Boohwal.* -겁많은사자, 18 March 2011-